Review: Better At Weddings Than You
By Mina V. Esguerra
eBook, 214 pages
Bright Girl Books
4.5 out of 5 Stars
“Easy reading is damn hard writing.”
American novelist Nathaniel Hawthorne must have Mina Esguerra in mind when he coined this phrase. Because if I were to describe my overall experience in reading her latest book, it’s none other than, “Now, that was easy reading!” I sincerely doubt, however, that Mina had a hard time writing it. On the contrary, I feel she breezed through every word and every chapter with effortless flair like the pro she is, until the very end of the book.
Page after page flowed easily through my eyes and mind, keeping my interest piqued and my heart at repeated swoons. The intricate depiction of a wedding planner’s work made me realize the pressure, the predicaments and the creativity of wedding planners. It’s not an enviable job.
Greg is a certified a**hole but one that has a heart for Daphne’s well-being. He also, inexplicably, truly and deeply loves Helen, his fiancee. That makes him a likeable a**hole — in small doses, of course. It’s Helen that is an enigma, tossing and turning between Greg and Aaron, accepting her defeat only in the end. But I still get the feeling she’s not very sure she wants to marry Greg, eventually. Make up your mind (and heart), girl!
I adore Aaron. He is all male, biceps and all, but without the annoying chauvinistic tendencies characteristic of, well, “some” Filipino men. Unlike most men who would bask in and take advantage of a soon-to-be-wed girl’s long-hidden affection for him, he had the decency and the wisdom to face the music and nip it in the bud (or full-grown flower already?) And in that aspect, I disagree with Daphne.
Don’t get me wrong. I love Daphne! Her attitude in life, her work ethics, her independent streak. But blame it on my age and my Filipino upbringing, of growing up in the adage that marriage is not like a spoonful of hot, just-cooked rice which one can easily throw up when her tongue is singed. Marriage is the union of two hearts committed to make it work, whatever the cost. And if one of those two hearts is not too sure, it’s much better to back out of the wedding — which Daphne wanted to avoid for quite unjustified reasons–instead of a lifetime of regret. Thankfully, it was taken out of her hands, and hopefully, taught her a well-learned lesson.
There were times too that I wished Daphne wasn’t too impersonal or maybe just a few degrees warmer to my liking, but I totally understand that’s how she is. No matter. I’m leaving it to Aaron entirely to thaw her somewhat chilly personality, seeing that he’s had a promising headstart already. I’m pretty sure they’d eventually exchange those coveted “I love yous” in the future, and, of course, plan their own magical wedding. After all, they’re the best wedding planner team in town.
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